For nearly three decades, Age of Empires has stood as one of the most influential and popular strategy franchises ever created. While both Age of Empires IV and Age of Empires II are still receiving updates, fans have been eagerly anticipating the new entry in the series, Age of Empires V. According to new information, Microsoft and World’s Edge may finally be starting development on the highly anticipated game, or at least ramping up production. There has been no official confirmation on this project, but two new job postings may have given fans some insight into what to expect.
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Microsoft has listed two new job opportunities on its official career page. These are a Senior Unreal Engineer, Shared Technology, and Principal Unreal Engineer, Gameplay positions at World’s Edge, the studio behind the acclaimed Age of Empires series. The job posting itself only states the series, but it is heavily implied to be Age of Empires V.
“At Xbox Game Studios, we are hard at work continuing the great legacy of Age of Empires, our beloved RTS franchise. We are a passionate group responsible for this amazing franchise and are expanding our team looking for a wonderful colleague that will be responsible for planning and building our future tech stack.”
The key detail is the shift to Unreal, as the series has used proprietary or specialized engines in the past. This not only hints toward a new entry, but one that aims to take advantage of the Unreal Engine’s technology, scale, and more. It could mark the dawn of a new era for the series.
The other detail worth noting is a shift in development responsibilities. World’s Edge has predominantly worked as a producer for Age of Empires while subcontracting development to external studios. Relic Entertainment handled Age of Empires IV, while studios like Forgotten Empires and Tantalus Media supported remasters and expansions. These job postings could hint toward World’s Edge taking a more hands-on approach compared to previous games.
If this is indeed for Age of Empires V, it likely means the project is in the early stages of development. The 30th anniversary of the Age of Empires series occurs in 2027, which could hint at a possible release date. But with so little information, there is no guarantee this is the case. Until Microsoft or World’s Edge makes an official announcement, fans can only speculate about the series’ future.
Age of Empires has been one of Microsoft’s flagship franchises, but not its only one. As Microsoft shifts from a hardware-focused business model, one would expect it to focus on its IPs more than ever. Forza Horizon 6 has been officially revealed with a Japanese setting after leaks teased this, while the Halo series remains uncertain. Not only this, but Microsoft has ported many of its franchises to other consoles, such as Gears of War, so we could expect Age of Empires V to be a multiplatform launch as well. As the gaming industry continues to grow and expand, iconic series like Age of Empires remain foundations that other series look to, which makes new entries like this all the more exciting.
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Courtesy of Toei Animation
